Deeds: Work to do to balance state budget

Chris Graham

   Column by Creigh Deeds www.creighdeeds.com Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2010 will be the commencement of the 2010 session of the General Assembly. This is the 60-day session when the biennial budget is adopted. This will be a tough time for Virginia government, those responsible for managing it, and those who depend on state services. In…

Petersen: Car-tax cut not a ‘mistake’

Chris Graham

Democrat critical of Kaine on car tax; will push gas-tax index to boost transportation dollars Story by Chris Graham [email protected] Remember how upset Fairfax Democrat Chap Petersen was right after Gov. Tim Kaine proposed last month to replace the car-tax relief program that dates back to the administration of Jim Gilmore with a 1 percent…

Focus | McPadden: ‘(C)hange the party from the inside out’

Chris Graham

Congressional candidate pushes back-to-basics GOP campaign Story by Chris Graham [email protected] The tea-party protests of the summer motivated many on the right. It was another protest half a world away that motivated Mike McPadden to run for Congress. “Those kids were out there in the streets fighting for their liberties. That was a watershed moment…

Focus | No car tax, but yes, local income tax?

Chris Graham

Kaine gets heat for controversial proposed switch Story by Chris Graham [email protected] Goodbye, No Car Tax. Hello, New Local Income Tax. Tim Kaine didn’t exactly say it that way, but that was the sum effect. “Let’s keep the promise. Let’s get rid of the car tax on personal vehicles completely, but do it the right…

Focus | A move toward equity

Chris Graham

Kaine proposes employee-benefits policy change Story by Chris Graham [email protected] The Kaine administration, in a sort of last act as its final days count down, has proposed a change in state policy that would allow state employees to choose between covering a spouse or an “otherwise qualfied adult” on their employee plus one health-care policies….

Focus | Democratic divide

Chris Graham

Battle brewing between progressives, centrists over direction of party Story by Chris Graham [email protected] The 2001 election that ushered in the Democratic Decade in Virginia gave power in Democratic Party circles to the centrists in the mold of Mark Warner and Tim Kaine who led the mini-revolution that fall. The model that they laid out…

Charter schools, when explained, get support

Chris Graham

VCU survey shows most know little about charter-school concept Staff Report News Tips: [email protected] Virginia residents are not well informed about charter schools but a majority support them when charter school programs are explained, according to a new statewide survey conducted by Virginia Commonwealth University. The Commonwealth Education Poll finds only 8 percent say they…

The Rant | Power to the people

Contributors

   Video Essay by Chris Graham [email protected] It’s Democrats now being all righteously indignant over the threat of filibuster that Joe Lieberman is using to get his way on health-care reform. Republicans were pretty indignant a couple of years back when it was Democrats using the threat of filibuster to try to influence judicial appointments….

The Speaker of the House

Ken Plum

  Column by Ken Plum www.kenplum.com On January 12, 1978, the second day of business in the House of Delegates, Speaker John Warren Cooke rapped the session to order and called on the Gentleman from Fairfax, Mr. Plum, for purposes of a motion. I heard my name called, and I was petrified. It was my…